AFX UK at a glance share guide - 2

MARKETS
FTSE 100 4,910.3, down 8.6
FTSE 250 6,790.0, up 9.2
DJIA 10,384.30, up 38.90
Nasdaq Comp 1,979.67, up 12.32
S&P 500 1,178.85, up 7.50
Tokyo: Nikkei closed at 11,159.46, down 11.86
Hang Seng midday 14,062.77, down 22.32
Gold 426.10 usd (424.62 usd)
Oil - Brent June 51.29 usd (50.77 usd)

BREAKING NEWS
* Deutsche Boerse's leaders forced to step down; Seifert goes now and Breuer by end of year - FT
* Doubts on Treasury forecast as growth slows while inflationary pressures rise - FT
* BAE SYSTEMS makes an unsolicited bid to supply two frigates to Malaysia for an estimated 1 bln stg in what is expected to be one of the country's biggest defence deals in the next few years - FT
* HSBC to double its stake in Ping An, China's second-largest life assurer, by buying the 10 pct held by Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley for 582 mln stg in the biggest foreign investment in a Chinese insurer - FT
* UNITED BUSINESS MEDIA says it will pay outgoing chief executive Lord Hollick a 250,000 stg bonus in spite of an expected shareholder rebellion - FT
* JURYS DOYLE, the Irish hotels group, confirms it has received an approach from an unnamed bidder
* Chinese offer to save 1,500 Rover jobs; deal 'nearly completed' to give Shanghai group British engineering and design base at Longbridge plant - Telegraph
* Internal LLOYDS TSB documents reveal a problem of questionable lending practices across the bank's 2,000 branches and further deficiences in its phone-based loan centres - Times

PRESS COMMENT
FT
THE LEX COLUMN comments on Deutsche Boerse (loser is LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE, whose icy defence of its chastity has totally backfired; still, while his execution proved flawed, Seifert's vision might work at less inflated prices; unlike its management team, Deutsche Boerse could still be back), UK economy, Bid speculation, Investment banks - RICHMOND FOODS (on a little more than 13 times this year's earnings - an undemanding multiple)
Telegraph
QUESTOR: CREST NICHOLSON (worth a punt), SKYEPHARMA (only buy if you're in for a bumpy ride), RICHMOND FOODS (best left alone at this level)
Times
ADAMIND (talk it is close to announcing the broadening of its contract with Ericsson) - DIRECTORS' DEALINGS: TOAD GROUP (three directors buy stock for 118,000 stg) - TEMPUS: KINGFISHER (hold), CENTER PARCS (avoid), DIPLOMA (worth buying)
Independent
THE INVESTMENT COLUMN: ULSTER TELEVISION (avoid), CENTER PARCS (buy), TDG (added to Independent's portfolio of stocks for 2005)
Guardian
JARDINE LLOYD THOMPSON (dividend cut fears) - BIOFUELS (roadshow fails to calm nerves)
Mail
FUTURAGENE (positive comment)
Express
KINGFISHER (Home Depot bid speculation) - SHARE WHISPER: LONDON & ASSOCIATED PROPERTIES (bid speculation) - WHO'S DEALING: TOAD GROUP (directors buy stock)

Good morning all from a very sunny North Wales. Snowdon is looking very nice this morning.

Sold all my shares in the Champion Investor competition yesterday hoping to re purchase today but after the rise in the Dow looks as if I may have to wait a bit before price reaches my target buying price. Still struggling in position No. 75. I can see that charlielinks is doing well with 34.10% profit. Fingers crossed then.

Good morning all